Engineering Commons^™

Maximizing Charge Dynamics In Znin2s4/Cn Van Der Waals Heterojunction For Optimal Hydrogen Production From Photoreforming Of Glucose, Jinqiang Zhang, Xinyuan Xu, Lei Shi, Huayang Zhang, Shaobin Wang, Hongqi Sun

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Biomass photoreforming stands out as a promising avenue for green hydrogen, leveraging solar energy for the generation and transformation of clean and renewable energy resources. The pursuit of efficient photocatalysts is motivated by the unsatisfied hydrogen evolution performance arising from the complex and stubborn structure of biomass. Herein, we loaded 2-dimensional (2D) ZnIn2S4 onto 2D carbon nitride nanosheets, resulting in the formation of Van der Waals (VDW) heterojunctions (ZIS/CN). Band structure and morphology of CN were rationally tailored through precursor engineering to effectively magnify interfacial internal electric field and minimize diffusion pathway within the VDW heterostructure, realizing optimal charge dynamics …

Energy Management And Sizing Of A Stand-Alone Hybrid Renewable Energy System For Community Electricity, Fresh Water, And Cooking Gas Demands Of A Remote Island, Mim M. Ahmed, Barun K. Das, Pronob Das, Md S. Hossain, Md G. Kibria

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Research into the off-grid hybrid energy system to provide reliable electricity to a remote community has extensively been done. However, simultaneous meeting electric, freshwater, and gas demands from the off-grid hybrid energy sources are very scarce in literature. Power- to-X (PtX) is gaining attention in recent days in the energy transition scenarios to generate green hydrogen, the primary product of the process as an energy carrier, which is deemed to replace conventional fuels to reach absolute carbon neutrality. In this study, renewable–based hybrid energy is developed to simultaneously meet the electricity, freshwater, and gas (cooking gas via methanation process) demands …

Hydrogen, Carbon Dioxide, And Methane Adsorption Potential On Jordanian Organic-Rich Source Rocks: Implications For Underground H2 Storage And Retrieval, Amer Alanazi, Hussein Rasool Abid, Muhammad Usman, Muhammad Ali, Alireza Keshavarz, Volker Vahrenkamp, Stefan Iglauer, Hussein Hoteit

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Hydrogen (H₂) storage in geological formations offers a potential large-scale solution suitable for an industrial-scale hydrogen economy. However, the presence of organic residuals can significantly influence the H₂ storage efficiency, as well as cushion gas performance, such as CO₂ and CH₄, injected to maintain healthy reservoir pressure. Thus, the H₂ storage efficiency and cushion gas selectivity were thoroughly investigated in this work based on H₂, CO₂, and CH₄ adsorption measurements using, for the first time, actual organic-rich carbonate-rich Jordanian source rock samples (TOC = 13 % to 18 …

Influence Of Organics And Gas Mixing On Hydrogen/Brine And Methane/Brine Wettability Using Jordanian Oil Shale Rocks: Implications For Hydrogen Geological Storage, Amer Alanazi, Nurudeen Yekeen, Mujahid Ali, Muhammad Ali, Israa S. Abu-Mahfouz, Alireza Keshavarz, Stefan Iglauer, Hussein Hoteit

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The substitution of fossil fuel with clean hydrogen (H₂) has been identified as a promising route to achieve net zero carbon emissions by this century. However, enough H₂ must be stored underground at an industrial scale to achieve this objective due to the low volumetric energy density of H₂. In underground H₂ storage, cushion gases, such as methane (CH₄), are required to maintain a safe operational formation pressure during the withdrawal or injection of H₂. The wetting characteristics of geological formations in the presence of H₂, cushion gas, …

Enabling Premixed Hydrogen-Air Combustion For Aeroengines Via Laboratory Experiment Modeling, Christopher James Caulfield

Masters Theses

All combustion systems from large scale power plants to the engines of cars to gas turbines in aircraft are looking for new fuel sources. Recently, clean energy for aviation has come into the foreground as an important issue due to the environment impacts of current combustion methods and fuels used. The aircraft industry is looking towards hydrogen as a new, powerful, and clean fuel of the future. However there are several engineering and scientific challenges to overcome before hydrogen can be deployed into the industry. These issues
range from storing the hydrogen in a viable cryogenic form for an aircraft …

Hydrogen Storage In Depleted Gas Reservoirs: A Comprehensive Review, Nasiru S. Muhammed, Md Bashirul Haq, Dhafer A. Al Shehri, Amir Al-Ahmed, Mohammad M. Rahman, Ehsan Zaman, Stefan Iglauer

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Hydrogen future depends on large-scale storage, which can be provided by geological formations (such as caverns, aquifers, and depleted oil and gas reservoirs) to handle demand and supply changes, a typical hysteresis of most renewable energy sources. Amongst them, depleted natural gas reservoirs are the most cost-effective and secure solutions due to their wide geographic distribution, proven surface facilities, and less ambiguous site evaluation. They also require less cushion gas as the native residual gases serve as a buffer for pressure maintenance during storage. However, there is a lack of thorough understanding of this technology. This work aims to provide …

Interfacial Tensions Of (Brine + H2 + Co2) Systems At Gas Geo-Storage Conditions, Zoha Dalal Isfehani, Ali Sheidaie, Mirhasan Hosseini, Jalal Fahimpour, Stefan Iglauer, Alireza Keshavarz

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

In hydrogen geological storage, cushion gas has vital role to retain adequate reservoir pressure to keep the hydrogen withdrawal stable. Presence of the cushion gas in the storage reservoir can affect the flow characteristics of hydrogen during injection and production cycles. One of the most crucial parameters that control the fluids flow in porous media is interfacial tension (IFT) between fluids. However, the literature data lacks in terms of IFT between cushion gas mixed with hydrogen and brine at geo-storage conditions. In this study, the pendant drop method was used to measure the IFT of (brine + H₂ + …

Modular Supply Network Optimization Of Renewable Ammonia And Methanol Co-Production, Benjamin Akoh

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

To reduce the use of fossil fuels and other carbonaceous fuels, renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, geothermal energy have been suggested to be promising alternative energy that guarantee sustainable and clean environment. However, the availability of renewable energy has been limited due to its dependence on weather and geographical location. This challenge is intended to be solved by the utilization of the renewable energy in the production of chemical energy carriers. Hydrogen has been proposed as a potential renewable energy carrier, however, its chemical instability and high liquefaction energy makes researchers seek for other alternative energy carriers. Ammonia …

Reduction Of Iron-Ore Pellets Using Different Gas Mixtures And Temperatures, Yuri Korobeinikov, Amogh Meshram, Christopher Harris, Olexandr Kovtun, Joe Govro, Ronald J. O'Malley, Olena Volkova, Seetharaman Sridhar

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Direct reduction of iron ore (DRI) is gaining an increased attention due to the growing need to decarbonize industrial processes. The current industrial DRI processes are performed using reformed natural gas, which results in CO₂ emission, although it is less than carbothermic reduction in the blast furnace. Carbon-free reduction may be realized through the utilization of green H₂ as a reducing agent, in place of natural gas. Herein, the effects of various gas mixtures and temperature on the reduction kinetics of the hematite iron-ore pellets are focused on in this work. Pellets are reduced at 700, 800, 850, …

Auto-Ignition Characteristics Of Hydrogen Enriched Natural Gas For Gas Turbine Applications, Christopher T. Loving

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

A successful transition to clean energy hinges on meeting the world's growing energy demand while reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Achieving this will require significant growth in electricity generation from clean and carbon-free energy sources. Several energy providers have already begun the transition from traditional carbon-based fuels to cleaner alternatives, such as hydrogen and hydrogen enriched natural gas. However, there are still many technical challenges that must be addressed when applying these fuels in gas turbines. The application of hydrogen or hydrogen/natural gas blends to advanced class gas turbines, which have higher operating pressures and temperatures has raised concerns about the …

A Techno-Economic Analysis To Determine The Levelized Cost Of Hydrogen Generation Through Electrolysis For Humboldt Transit Authority, Humboldt County, California, Deepak Tripathi

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Abstract

This thesis aims to investigate the techno-economic feasibility of on-site electrolysis-based hydrogen generation for the Humboldt Transit Authority (HTA), focusing on determining the levelized cost of hydrogen (LCOH) for various system configurations and utility rate schedules. The study recommends using a 2.5 MW electrolyzer with the B-20 (T) utility rate schedule along with an E-GT rate supplement provided by PG&E as the most cost-effective solution to meet HTA's projected hydrogen demand. This demand is currently based on the utilization of 11 H₂ fuel cell buses, which is further expected to grow to 21 buses, and estimated public use …

Ambient Ammonia Synthesis Via Microwave-Catalytic Materials And Plasma Chemistry, Siobhan Brown

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Ammonia is critical to supporting human life on earth because of its use as fertilizer. The Haber-Bosch process to produce ammonia has been practiced for over 100 years. This process operates at high pressure and temperature to overcome the thermodynamic and kinetic limitations of the ammonia synthesis reaction thus researchers have tried to overcome it for decades. At present this process represents 1% of global energy usage and 2.5% of global CO₂ emissions. The proposed chemical looping ammonia synthesis approach seeks to reduce the environmental impact of this critical process and to elucidate microwave-catalytic principles.

This research aims to …

Calorific Value Calculation For Natural Gas -Hydrogen Blend, Utkarsha Chavan

Other resources

This is a sample calculation for the natural gas -hydrogen blend for two different gas samples. The composition of two natural gas samples is provided in two sheets. The calorific value is calculated for a blend with a molar composition of hydrogen varying from 0 to 20%. Along with calorific value (MJ/m3), Wobbe index (MJ/m3) and specific gravity are also calculated.

Key Aspects To Consider For The Hydrogen Strategy Of Ireland, Utkarsha Chavan

Other resources

Hydrogen will be the key player in achieving the net-zero carbon emission target but, some aspects need to be considered while formulating the hydrogen strategy for Ireland. In this article, the first aspect emphasises promoting hydrogen production technologies with low to nill carbon emissions followed by gauging the hydrogen demand for individual energy demand sectors. The second aspect focuses on the technical constraints revolving around the direct injection of hydrogen into the natural gas network. The government needs to play an important role as a policy maker and as an investor to achieve net-zero carbon emission through hydrogen.

Modeling And Performance Analysis Of Deb Based Hydrogen Getters, John A. Matteson

Chemical and Biological Engineering ETDs

Hydrogen getter materials are used to irreversibly absorb hydrogen gas in sealed environments. The DEB based getter system, despite finding widespread use in this application, still posses challenges with respect to experimental performance analysis and fundamental understanding of reaction mechanism. The second chapter of this report addresses the experimental challenges of this getter system by demonstrating the utility and experimental strengths of a custom magnetic suspension balance (MSB) based gravimetric sorption system. This apparatus enables performance evaluation in process relevant conditions including dilute mixed gas environments which our results indicate is necessary for accurate performance evaluation of getter systems. Chapter …

Recovery Of The Recovery Zinc Concentrate In A Weakly Reducing Gas Atmospheric Environment, B T. Berdiyarov, S T. Matkarimov, J B. Ismailov

Technical science and innovation

This article provides information on the formation of substances resulting from the roasting of sulfide-zinc concentrates, which negatively affects the course of subsequent stages. The resulting calcine was sent for reduction roasting in a weakly reducing inert gas atmosphere. Based on this, it can be assumed that the impact on the calcine of "weak" energetic inert gases the reduce minimises or formation of ferrites and zinc silicates. Since the principal primary using agent is gaseous H₂, (hydrogen) in a mixture of gases with a weak reducing environment, all redox reactions occurring in total reduction were studied. The course …

Characterization Of Hydrogen Embrittlement Sensitivity In High Hardness Steels, David Ahlen Salley

Theses and Dissertations

High hardness steels can be affected by delayed brittle cracking often attributed to hydrogen embrittlement. Improved resistance to hydrogen embrittlement would be beneficial to many industries including military, automotive, and high-rise construction. While other prevention methods include coating, trapping, and barriers, design efforts in this study were focused on improving intrinsic properties to be more resistant to hydrogen embrittlement. Four alloys targeting 477 – 534 HB were designed and produced in-house and compared against a commercial grade 500 HB alloy. Charpy V-notch (CVN) impact toughness and tensile specimens were made according to ASTM E23 and ASTM E8 to characterize mechanical …

Materials And Interfaces For Electrocatalytic Hydrogen Production And Utilization., Alexander Jiya Gupta

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Mass industrialization over the last few centuries has created a global economy which is dependent upon fossil fuels to satisfy an exponentially increasing demand for energy. Aside from the possible depletion of this finite resource, the combustion of fossil fuels releases greenhouse gases into the atmosphere which cause the global temperature to rise – a phenomenon which has already begun to create geologic and geopolitical instability and shows no signs of abatement. One proposed method to rid humanity of its dependence on fossil fuels is to use green hydrogen as an energy carrier. In this scheme, excess electricity from a …

Hydrogen-Rich Syngas Derived From Smouldering Biomass And Hydrocarbon Wastes, Joshua K. Brown

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

In the face of climate change, the world is looking to new fuel sources to meet the surging global energy demand. Hydrogen has been proposed as a promising energy vector being both a net-zero carbon emitter and having one of the highest gravimetric energy densities of known fuels. Production of hydrogen, however, is difficult with many of the technologies which exist today failing to be economically feasible or environmentally sustainable. Smouldering has recently been developed as a cost effective and energy efficient technology for destruction of organic wastes. The unique reaction zones created within a smouldering system have the potential …

Numerical Simulation On The Effects Of Entrainment On Hydrogen Jet-In-Crossflow Combustion, Malcolm K. Newmyer

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This Research explores hydrogen combustion in a Jet-in-Crossflow configuration through computational fluid dynamics using ANSYS Fluent commercial CFD software. Three fuel-only hydrogen jets with a momentum flux ratio J of 10, 50, and 115 were introduced axially, using a large eddy simulation with a WALE sub grid model. Detailed chemistry was computed directly with a 9 species hydrogen/air kinetic mechanism. The 4mm jet and crossflow domain utilized an automatic mesh adaptation method centered around the flame shear layer. The study models the second stage of a lab-scale gas turbine test facility at a pressure level of 5atm,a crossflow temperature of …

Design Of A 300cm2 Pemfc Stack With Force And Cfd Simulation To Optimize Flow Channels, Gasket Design, And Clamping Forces., Robert M. Ench

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Proton exchange membrane fuel cells are important to the future of green energy as hydrogen can be made with green technologies and store energy for later use. Fuel cells can efficiently convert the hydrogen to electricity as needed. This study uses Solidworks simulation to make design improvements to the fuel cell before the prototype build stage of testing; this saves money and time by reducing the prototype builds needed.

In this study, a multi-channel serpentine design with two outlets versus a single outlet is evaluated using CFD to investigate pressure drop. Lower pressure drops are desirable as less energy input …

Hydrogen Production Via Photocatalytic Water Splitting Under Near-Uv And Visible Light Using Doped Pd Tio2, Bianca Rusinque

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The present PhD thesis reports the modification of titanium dioxide (TiO₂) with palladium (Pd), to enhance hydrogen production via water splitting, using 2.0v/v% ethanol as a scavenger. Titanium dioxide was used as photocatalyst, given its ability to absorb photons, producing e^-/h⁺ pairs. Mesoporous TiO₂ was synthesized using a soft template, following the sol-gel method, to modify its morphological properties. Palladium was used as co-catalyst doping TiO₂ agent, narrowing the band gaps down to 2.51 eV, and creating additional active metal sites.

Water splitting experiments under near-UV and visible light irradiation were carried out …

The Controlled Synthesis Of Hydrogen Electrocatalysts For Alkaline Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell And Electrolysis Applications Via Chemical Vapor Deposition, Stefan Thurston Dubard Williams

Doctoral Dissertations

The development of catalysts for the electrochemical processes of hydrogen systems (e.g., fuel cells and electrolyzer systems) continues to be an attractive area of research for renewable energy technologies. One significant challenge has been developing hydrogen catalysts suitable for alkaline environments, mainly due to the sluggish kinetics of hydrogen reactions. In alkaline environments, the kinetics are decreased by two orders of magnitude when compared to acidic environments. Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) is a conventional method used to synthesize these types of catalysts. This effort discusses extending work being done using a modified CVD process known as “Poor Man’s” CVD (PMCVD) …

Kinetics Of Photolysis And Photocatalytic Oxidation Of Ammonium Sulfite For Hydrogen Production, Moustafa A. Soliman, Maryam Zakaria

Chemical Engineering

The production of hydrogen via photocatalytic water splitting is one of the most promising technologies for obtaining chemical energy from direct solar energy while maintaining the least possible waste and pollutants. In this paper, we obtain the kinetic parameters necessary for the design of a photoreactor for photolysis and photocatalysis of ammonium sulfite solution. For the case of photolysis, we obtain the kinetics for the effect of changing the pH on the produced amount of hydrogen. For the case of photocatalysis, the intrinsic kinetic parameters of photocatalysis of water splitting reaction of ammonium sulfite and water in the presence of …

Non-Conventional Vehicles As A Way Towards Carbon Neutrality In Iceland, Julia Sokolowska

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Paris Agreement’s chief objective is to protect the Earth and its inhabitants from a point of no return, when the effects of climate change will be so intense that they will shift the equilibrium of ecosystems. The distinctiveness of this international environmental treaty is that it does not impose climate change mitigation measures, but rather allows nation states to create their own set of measures, the NDCs, to reach the global warming of ‘well below 2oC’ by the end of the century. Thus, Iceland has submitted its own NDC, the Climate Action Plan 2018-2030, which has an ambitious goal of …

The Artificial Leaf: An Investigation Into The Sociotechnical Integration Of New Solar Energy Innovations, Alexandra K. Treml, Jamie M. Mears

Senior Honors Projects, 2020-current

Increasing global demand, combined with the volatility of fossil fuels, has called for a large-scale increase in renewable energy production. Photovoltaics hold significant potential, but by nature, solar energy is intermittent and lacks dispatchability. Researchers around the world are working to create innovative solutions that utilize semiconductors found in solar cell technologies in new ways. This project harnesses photoelectrochemical water-splitting, which uses light energy to dissociate water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen. When the water-splitting device is submerged in saltwater and illuminated by sunlight, oxygen and hydrogen gas are produced on opposite surfaces, and can be either released or stored …

Process Intensification Of Fuel Synthesis And Electrolysis, Jeremy Lee Hartvigsen

Doctoral Dissertations

”As more renewable energy is added to the electric grid, energy storage becomes a high priority. Suggestions have been made for energy storage in the form of fuel and chemicals. Currently, Solid Oxide Electrolysis systems can operate in endothermic mode and reduce the electrical requirement by supplying heat. Fuel synthesis from syngas is exothermic and can supply heat. However, the temperature mismatch in the normal operation of the electrolysis step and fuel synthesis step makes the direct utilization of this heat impossible. This work explores possibilities of alternate arrangements of coupling electrochemical systems and chemical synthesis. This work also explores …

High-Pressure Studies On The Transition From Red Phosphorus To Black Phosphorus, Heng Xiang

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Black phosphorus (BP) is a promising material in many research fields. However, the transition process from amorphous red phosphorus (ARP) is elusive and hence hinders large scale synthesis and applications. This work describes the application of the high-pressure method to study the transition process from ARP to BP.

In this thesis, the following three objectives were achieved: (1) to understand the mechanism of the transition, (2) to facilitate the synthesis of BP by taking the advantage of less pure ARP, (3) to propose new methods of synthesizing BP-based materials, such as the moderately oxidized BP and the black phosphorus/ amorphous …

Synthesis And Connection Of Iridium Hydrogen Evolution Catalyst To Chlorella Vulgaris Photosystem I For Light-Driven Hydrogen Evolution, Anna Ramirez

Honors Program Theses and Projects

Hydrogen gas has been shown to be a promising energy source as options other than fossil fuels are being looked at in the face of anthropogenic climate change. It is known that anthropogenic climate change is caused by the production of greenhouse gases being let into the atmosphere, specifically a common reason for this is the burning of fossil fuels for energy. The overall goal of this project is to design a biochemical hybrid system that will be used to make H 2 gas and does not require the use of fossil fuels. Burning hydrogen as fuel produces only water …

Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicles; Current Status And Future Prospect, Yogesh Manoharan, Seyed Ehsan Hosseini, Brayden Butler, Hisham Alzhahrani, Bhi Thi Fou Senior, Turaj Ashuri, John Krohn

Faculty Publications - Mechanical Engineering

The hazardous effects of pollutants from conventional fuel vehicles have caused the scientific world to move towards environmentally friendly energy sources. Though we have various renewable energy sources, the perfect one to use as an energy source for vehicles is hydrogen. Like electricity, hydrogen is an energy carrier that has the ability to deliver incredible amounts of energy. Onboard hydrogen storage in vehicles is an important factor that should be considered when designing fuel cell vehicles. In this study, a recent development in hydrogen fuel cell engines is reviewed to scrutinize the feasibility of using hydrogen as a major fuel …